The results of the lottery green card now available: how to check and what to do next

The participants lottery green card DV-2021 was waiting for the results of the draw for a month longer than usual because of the pandemic coronavirus infection. Finally now you can check the status of your application, according to the U.S. Department of state.

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Recall that the results of the draw, which took place from 2 October to 5 November 2019, became available on June 6 from 12:00 PM Eastern time and will be open for inspection until 30 September 2021.

A green card is an identity permanent resident who does not have American citizenship. With it, you will receive the right to work, benefits to education and the opportunity to apply for citizenship. But winning the lottery does not mean the automatic issuance of a green card, is only part of the way to obtaining.

Here are 4 steps you need to take to become the winner won a green card and successfully settle in the United States.

Step 1. Check the status of the application

The results of the drawing can already be found, but only on the official website dvprogram.state.gov (it used to be called dvlottery.state.gov — both addresses are correct). On the website you need to enter the number of the lottery, specify the name, surname and year of birth of the applicant. If on the opened page you will see a letter with a bar code and your data, you won.

Photo: screenshot dvprogram.state.gov

The results can be found exclusively on this site and only on their own initiative — the Department of state will remind you about the prize draw and send any emails. Check application status — free. Any letter or email with an invitation to pass on any link or make a cash transfer, is a fraud. Be extremely careful, especially if applied to participate in the lottery through an intermediary.

Until September 30, 2020 (the same site) you can check the results of drawing of green card lottery for the year 2020 (DV-2020). After that date, the person that won the lottery, will not be able to apply for a green card.

The mere fact of winning does not guarantee a green card. Every year the US government allocates 55 thousand immigrant visas, which are drawn in the lottery green card. Applicants are always much more annually in lottery participate in an average of 9 million people. And prize notifications always receives more applicants.

This is because not all bring it started to end: someone is not ready to bear the expenses associated with visas, who does not pass the medical examination or interview of the applicants get rejected due to incorrectly prepared documents. So the news that you have won a green card is just a signal to start the marathon with a length of about a year, but not victory.

For immigration must meet the requirements that apply to applicants for immigrant visas.

Step by step instructions what to do after receiving the prize notifications

To fill visa application form

On the website of the Consular Electronic Application Center you need to fill out an immigration visa application form form DS-260. It is filled in English. The questionnaire should specify the personal data, family status, provide information about the place of work, school, the criminal records.

If the date of registration for participation in the lottery you have changed the family structure (married, had a child), the new family members must be specified in the form DS-260, otherwise you may be disqualified.

On each family member a separate form DS-260. This is an important caveat, and if you fill in one form for the whole family, from the marathon “to get a green card” immediately retire.

When the form DS-260 filled in the confirmation page you need to save on your computer and then print. It, among other documents, you need to take with you to the interview. The date of interview will be sent by e-mail after you complete the DS-260.

Wait for a response

First, you will receive a letter with the following text: Your inquiry or message has been received and routed to the appropriate group. This is a standard letter, which means that your application form is received. And in 7-10 days e-mail comes another, this time addressed to you personally, email.

Here are the options that it can be written:

Your forms have been received and are currently processing. If you receive such a letter, it means that your applications are in the processing stage, which can last up to 4 months.

The omission of your case number on the forms will not affect the processing of your case. This means that by filling in the form, you have not specified the number of your business, but your profile is still accepted for processing.

The following should be sent to KCC to begin the processing of your case. This means that Kentucky Consular Center is waiting for your questionnaire, but have not yet received them.

The information you have provided does not match the case. This means that you specified in the request information that differs from the one that you gave when you filled in the application for participation in the lottery.

The DS 230 Part 1 you submitted for the principal applicant was incomplete. This means that your questionnaires of inaccuracies that need to be corrected.

Due to the large volume of mail processed at KCC on a daily basis, confirmation of receiving your correspondence may not be feasible at this time or Your forms have been received and are acceptable for the continuation of your visa processing. If you received a letter containing one of these phrases, then your questionnaires already received, processed and in a few weeks call the date of the interview.

Your case number is now current for interview processing. This letter comes to those who know the date of the interview in a few days.

An interview for this case has been scheduled at … In the email the following text you will see the very date of the interview.

If you want to contact the Consular center in Kentucky (Kentucky Consular Center), where the processing of all questionnaires and to find out which stage is your case, you can send a request to email address: kccdv@state.gov or call: 1-606-526-7500 from 7:30 to 16:00. In the beginning of the conversation, you need to immediately call a case number (Case Number), a country in which the application form was filled, the name and date of birth of a lottery winner.

To collect documents

While the Consular center in Kentucky, studying your form and assigns the date of the interview, don’t waste time. Collect and translate into English documents that you need. All documents which are not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. No notarisation or apostille is not required.

You need to prepare the originals and translations of the following documents:

Passport

Birth certificate

Diplomas confirming education

Employment history

A certificate stating that you have no criminal record. If you lived in several countries, we need help from each country. If you had a criminal record, you can still qualify for a green card but you must provide a certificate stating that you have been punished.

Marriage certificate/divorce

For those who served in the military — military ID

The Bank statement

Documents about real estate appraisal

Job reference that you are an employee/owner of the company.

To check the health of

When you called the date of the interview — it’s time to pass a medical examination. This can be done only in special certified centers, the addresses of which can be found on the website. The price of this procedure — an average of $215 each family member planning to immigrate (in different countries the price may differ by $10-15), and separately paid vaccination.

Medical examination is necessary in order to determine whether you or someone from the family members of the diseases from the list of limiting entry to the United States. It, in particular, are diseases of mental character, the active form of tuberculosis, leprosy and others. Until 2010, the list included HIV, but now this virus is not a hindrance for obtaining a visa.

The list of diseases that prevent the immigrant visa consists of two lists, which can be found here and here.

After passing the medical examination, you will receive a sealed envelope that you must send to the Consul during the interview.

Interview

The medical Board behind the envelope to the Consul on hand, the date of the interview. At interview you will need originals and translations into English of all documents, medical examination results and the invitation for an interview. On the spot at the Embassy, you need to pay a visa fee of $330 for each family member. But that’s not a guarantee that coveted visa to the United States in your hands. An interview is not less important stage than the preparation of documents or a medical examination. However, to prepare for it and read some scientific treatises or worldly advice on the Internet is not necessary. You will ask household standard questions.

The main purpose of an interview is to make sure applied precisely the people who came to the interview, to remove fingerprints and compare them with the database to see the results of medical examination and check of all documents.

If you have passed the interview, you will open the semi-annual visa. Within 6 months all family members or only the main applicant will need to enter the US, otherwise the visa will be cancelled. Also after the interview you will be given a sealed envelope which should be given to the officer at the airport.

Important point: if the main applicant is unable to travel to the United States, without him, the family also cannot enter the country.